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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Miss Sloane (2016)

A ruthless and driven "win at any cost" Washington D.C. lobbyist (Jessica Chastain) is procured by a gun control campaign because she is the best at what she does. But even they are not prepared for the lengths she will go to to win ... even if it means crossing lines and unethical behavior. Directed by John Madden (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) from a first time script by Jonathan Perera (his first screenplay though you'd never know it), the script is clearly influenced by the writing of Aaron Sorkin. The female protagonist is the kind of part actresses love and Chastain picks up the ball and runs with it! The film sees Washington D.C. has a bastion of corruption and manipulation where the name of the game is winning and power and everything else is in the shadows. Though gun control is a very important part of the film's narrative, it doesn't define the film as it's so much more than that. Can one justify unethical actions if it is for the "right" cause? The fine underscore is by Max Richter and although the film runs pass the two hour mark, in this case, it's justified. As befits a film named after her character, Chastain dominates the film but there's a stellar ensemble cast nipping at her stilettos: John Lithgow, Sam Waterston, Christine Baranski, Michael Stuhlbarg, Gugu Mbatha Raw and Alison Pill.